Resilient wheel



G. M; WILLIS. A

RESLIENT WHEEL.

' APPLICATION FILED AUG.27, i919.

1,396,984. Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

Jw @j Mi GEORGEM. WILLIS, 'oF animado, ILLINOIS.

n'EisILinNT WHEL.

ieeaasa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

`llfateiiteed VNoi. 15, 1921.

.Application filed vaugust 27, Serial No. .1.320,-078.

To al? whom. a'z/ may concern.: 4 t y Beit knoujn that I, (irnorgei: M.lViLLis,a` vcitizen of. the United States, l* residing at Chicago, in'thecounty of Cook` and yState of Illinoisliave invented ascertain newand useful Improvement in ,Resilientlvheels of which the following isafull, clear, concise, and` exact description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, foi-ming a part of this specification. t l

My invention relates toresilient wheels. The present invention hasparticular. reference to that. class of vehicle Wlieelsliaving incombination-a resilient tread member and a confined` inner.` cushioningmember of a relativelyv high `degree of resiliency, whereby there may beattained a resilience and shock absorbing capacity substantiallyequivalent to that'of` a pneumatically tired wheel, together Withaffdurability such as to enable economical use of the wheel for heavyvehicles., y.

One of the main objects ofthe invention is to prpvide an improved formof.A cushioning ,member `of `-maximum resiliency, and simple andinexpensive construction. v

Another4 object is to `provide-an improved and simplified arrangementofin'ountingthe cushioning ,member on thefwvheel telly, and of mountingthe tire on the cushioning member. i y,

The above objects,l are. directed.` primarily tothe end oitproviding aresilient wheel of extremely simple, rugged and inexpensiveconstruction. 4. ,i y In the accompanying drawing,. whe rein l haveillustrated one preferred embodiment of my invention to. acquaintthoseskilled in the art With-the manner of constructing and usi-ng thesame:.v

F'gure 1y is a -fragmentarylfsectionalview of the Wheel; taken, throughthe circumferential'plane thereof; v A ZFig.. 2. isa fragmentarysectional View of the Wheel taken on a transverseplane ,and

, Fig-3 is anothern.fragmentaryv sectional view 'taken s ubstantiallyonthe plane of j the line 3,-,3 of igef2, looking in the directionindicated. .by the arrows. .v i

The wheel comprises Iawstandard Wheel center, which 1have`gbroadlydesignated 4, and which consists oftheffg'elly 5, the spokes 6, and a`centrahhub` l(not,,shc vv n).v The wheel. center shown is, ofconventional VWood construction, .but it is to be'understood that theemployment of a metallic disk wheel rim: tallic construction this fellyrim may be discenter oi' othermetallic of Wheel center isalsoycontemplated and included Within the lpresent invention.; Around theoutei' ivood telly 5`is secured a metallic :telly rim 7. The Atelly rimis lpreferably shrunk on the fellydn order to obtaiiith'e requiredrigiditybetween the telly and telly In .the case oi. zip-wheel center ofmepensedivith by lturning ott the periphery of therim; to a similarconformation. One

vedge of tliefelly rim 7, preferably the outer edge, lis formed With anoutwardly Aprojecting marginal flange 8 extendingcircumferentiallylabout the rim. A. f y

The shock/absorbing cushion or pad element is mounted on this felly rim,and consists of a resilient cushion ring 10, preferablycomposedcfa-relatively softA grade of rubber having a maximum ldegreeVof resiliency for absorbing the shock transmitted vthrough the ion-ringisiconined between flanges which embrace` 'thering adjacent:- its, innerand outer peripheries, and will hence be seen .that as a ssecond4functiomthe 4 provision yot these peripheralfgrooves also providesintermalspacesl into which therubberbetween the ,flanges can expand whenthe rubber is placedunder compression.,

i Around the outer 4circumference of the cushion ring 10is mountedametallic cushion rim 14 Ahaving marginalhflaiiges 15-15,

which project inwardly a shortl distance and closely embrace. the sidesof thecushion ring l0..l :The cushion ring ispressed into ltherim-labefore mounting on the felly riin.A Thel 4:tii'ef11, Which consistsof the rubber tire `proper andits associated tire Vrim 16, is mountedrigidly on the. cushion ,rim 14. The mounting of the vtire on-thecusliionrim 14 made yabsolutely rigidl by pressing the sainefithereonunder hydraulic pressure in accordance With -the usual practice. Inmaking up the wheel, the telly' rim 7 .is first ics ini

shrunk on the Wheel center, the cushion-'ring and its associated rim isthen slipped over the felly rim and pushed up against the flange 8,Where it is locked in place by a circumferential locking ring 17. Thislocking ring consists of an angularly flanged ring which is slipped overthe felly rim and is riveted in place as indicated at 18. The elementsthus far described compose the resilient wheel over which the regulationtire 11 is then pressed. v

It will be noted that the lateral surfaces of the cushion ring areformed with concave formations 20-20, which are provided for the purposeof preventing the rubber under compression from extending beyond theedges of the flanges 8 and 15.

I do not intend to be limited to the particular details herein shown anddescribed.

I claim:

In combination, awheel comprising a combined felly and rim structurehaving a permanent flange on one side and having a removable flange forthe other side, a ring of resilient rubber embracing said felly and'being confined laterally between and engag-l ing said flanges, saidring of rubber being recessed about its periphery to permit of' radialcompression and lateral expansion. a channeled ring of' metal embracingthe outerperiphery of said ring of rubber said channeled ring havingflanges extending inwardly, said flanges engaging and embracing theouter edges of the ring between them. and a standard tire comprising ametal rim and resilient rubber tread. said metal rim firmly embracingsaid channeled ring.

In witness whereofI I hereunto subscribe my name this th day of August,A. D. 1919.

GEORGE M WILLIS.

